How to Jump Off a Ship

While I was away, whenever someone asked about the Virgin Islands, I would send them a small collection of scaled down pictures. One of those pictures was me jumping off the boat at Virgin Guana.

Me jumping off the ship at Virgin Guana

Everyone seemed impressed. That’s because they only got to see one picture and they had nothing else to compare it to.

I have many talents, but it turns out jumping off boats is something I still need to fine tune. I could be a bit more graceful and I definitely need to work on my landing skills. The ending of my photographed jump was a butt flop. Although it did not hurt, I was told the back of my thighs were “red for the rest of the day!”

If you do wish to jump off a 120-foot yacht and want to have some style, I do have a role model for you! My soon-to-be cousin, Kaylee. She has accuracy and gracefulness Olympic athletes would covet. To help compare and contrast, here is a side by side comparison of me and Kaylee jumping off the boat. All of these pictures are scaled down. Please feel free to click on each shot to get larger versions from Flickr.

Step 1 – The Launch

Kaylee, on the left, looks like a graceful gazelle. I look like a chicken that got pushed out of the coup.

Step 2 – Positioning

Kaylee continues to use her athletic ability to further position herself. I, realizing I’m airborne, regress to “catatonic pin-mode” as fast as I can.

Step 3- Final Approach

As she nears the water, Kaylee straightens her body, pulls in her arms and prepares for entry. Wanting to make a good impression, I go to the trouble of pointing my toes. That’s a little futile when your whole body is bending into a poorly timed pike.

Step 4 – The Entry

Kaylee does make a splash, but check out what I can accomplish with my butt and legs!